MeiMei
by A. Windsor
Summary: Set 8 years postBDM, AU. The youngest makes her way into the 'verse.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Mei-Mei

Rating: G and fluuuuuuuffy

Characters: Most of the crew, plus the Pirate Children and Alistair Caramia (the latter are mine, the rest are Joss's)

Pairings: Canon pairings. I will openly admit that I heavily, heavily favor Mal and Inara and the Reynolds Family. And I'm not going to even kid you that there's some S/K or Z/W in this one... There's just not enough time in my little two parter. The M/I's not even that heavy.

Summary: Yet another Pirate Children story. Set 8 years post-BDM, AU. Serenity's youngest baby girl is about to make her entrance into this 'verse. And this somehow became mostly from Ally's point-of-view...

Author's Note: After the controversial angst fest of Tough, I bring you the light and fluffy story of how Serra came into this 'verse, a story much alluded to in other PC stories. And Abe's back! Didn't we miss him?

For newbies:

Brother, Shadow, Mei-Mei, Mischief, Pirate Children, Hell-Raising, Tough (Renci de Fozu, this series just keeps growing)

Kacey Washburn, 7.5

Lolly Tam, 6.5

Abe Reynolds, 5

Serra Reynolds, born any moment now

Alistair Caramia, 20

Part 1

Inara must smile warmly at the sight that greets her upon entering the shuttle: rich pillows, lush blankets, and beautiful tapestries, all strewn about, forming a makeshift fort full of giggles.

"Abe?"

"In here, Mama," comes a muffled voice. He sticks his dark head out from under a vibrant violet curtain hung between the chair to Mal's desk and the bedpost. He's grinning. "Hi."

"Hi, baby. Have you seen Kacey and Leila Lee?"

"Here, Aunt 'Nara," little Killian Washburn calls, head emerging next to Bubba's.

"Hi, Aunt 'Nara," Lolly giggles, flushed face appearing between the boys' heads.

"I believe you three are supposed to be at the table with Miss Ally, yes?"

"Oops."

Kacey makes a funny face. Abe and Lolly appear more contrite.

"Climb out and get your lessons done, please," Inara smiles at them.

"Yes, ma'am," the trio answers, wriggling out from under the blankets, some pillow walls collapsing in their wake. Lolly and Kacey take off at a full run to the kitchen.

"Walk!" Inara calls after them. Their footsteps slow considerably, "Sorry, Aunt 'Nara" floating back to her.

"Oh, no!" Abe exclaims, gesturing to the fort. "It's wrecked! We gotta fix it."

"No, you have to go be with Ally. You can fix it after your studies," Inara says, firmly but not harshly.

"But Mama…"

"Lessons."

Abe pouts, bottom lip stuck out and big brown eyes made even wider.

Inara sits on the bed and beckons him over, unable to squat to his level anymore. "I'll help you, after you've done your work with Ally, _dong ma_?"

Abe nods. "Awright, Mama. 'Bye!" He leans down and kisses her expanded belly. "'Bye, Mei-Mei!" He hurries off, not quite running, but not looking where he's going. He runs into a large pair of legs in the door.

"Whoa, watch where you're goin' there, Bubba," Mal chuckles, righting him with a smile. "Your teacher's looking for you."

"I'm goin'," Abe sighs heavily before heading off again.

Mal chuckles again, looking to Inara. "Hard being five, huh?"

"Very trying, I hear. Don't you have Captainy duties you should be attending to?" There's a smile in her voice, hand resting on their little girl growing inside her.

"And miss spending time with my beautiful wife? Never!"

Inara raises an eyebrow.

"And there ain't much to be done since we land on Persephone in a little over a week to bring the Mei-Mei into the 'verse. We'll be parked for two weeks or more, dependin' on our little one. And if she's half as stubborn as her parents, we might be there a month."

"Bite your tongue!" Inara says, horrified.

Mal grins cheekily. "How're you feelin'?"

"Tired. Achy. Gigantic. So, normal for being eight months pregnant."

"Little over," Mal corrects lightly, rubbing her tummy affectionately. "Lil' Kaylee's been bugging me 'bout a name. Seems to think Kaywinnit is a fine one."

Inara laughs gently. "No, she doesn't. She just says that to see the look on your face."

"What look?"

"The one you just made. Anyway, we can't decide on a first name until we see her. We didn't with Abe."

"No, reckon you're right. Got the middle one picked out, though. If you agree."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Alleyne? Zoe's…"

"Yes, I know. It's beautiful. I love it. Do you think she'll mind?"

"Could ask her, but it'd ruin the surprise. I'm sure she'll be okay with it. It's a middle name; won't stop Kacey from usin' it down the line."

* * *

"Ally," a young voice whispers, right in the ear of the sleeping woman. "Al-ly…"

Alistair Caramia groans, "Yes, Kacey?"

"Good morning!"

The young woman opens her eyes slowly, three bright, smiling children filling her vision.

"Wasn't that door locked?"

Lolly shrugs. Ally closes her eyes and takes a deep breath to wake herself up. After four months on this ship, she's learned that it is better to attend to this trio than leave them to their own devices. When she opens her eyes, there are only two faces. That's never good.

"Where's Abe?" she asks, sitting up quickly.

There is never a dull moment with these three, and it takes all of her patience to make it through every day. But it is worth it, more than worth it. They are smart and hard working when set to a task. In the four short months she's been teaching them, they've come so far. Abe is reading, really reading, short picture books, Kacey has his addition and some of his subtraction tables memorized, and Lolly's handwriting is just beautiful.

"Up here, Ally," the recently-turned-five Abram Reynolds calls from on top of her dresser. The drawers are pulled out from where he climbed up.

"Get down, please, Abe," Ally sighs, "You don't want to break your head open, do you? Your mama wouldn't like that. Remember what Uncle Simon said about stress."

Abe hops from the dresser to Ally's bed, bouncing once and then landing on the ground. Ally rolls her eyes and throws the covers back, grabbing a sweatshirt from the floor and pulling it over her head.

"Slippers," Lolly says, handing the footwear to her.

"Thanks, kiddo," Ally smiles, slipping them onto her feet. "Have you had breakfast yet, little ones?"

"Nope," Kacey grins. "Will you make us the letter pancakes?"

"We'll see what we have in the kitchen," Ally sighs, shepherding them from her quarters and up the stairs toward the mess.

"Good morning, Miss Ally," Inara greets from the kitchen table. "Did these three wake you up?"

Abe immediately snuggles up next to his mama, kissing her stomach and saying hi to his little sister.

"I did have a nice wake-up call," Ally smiles, looking through the cabinets to see what's available for breakfast.

"I'm sorry. It's your day off."

Ally shakes her head, passing a smile over her shoulder at the older woman. "It's not just a job, Inara."

"Do we have stuff for pancakes, Ally?" Kacey asks again, hopping up to look in the cabinets.

"Pancakes?" Inara asks, directed at her son and accompanied with a tickle at his sides.

Abe giggles and bows his head, still leaning against his mama, since he can't fit in her lap anymore.

"Ally might make us some," Lolly explains excitedly.

"There's enough for one each, so we'll need to eat something else, too."

"Do you want one, Aunt 'Nara?" Kacey asks, bouncing over to the table to sit across from Abe and Inara. Lolly joins them as Ally pulls down everything for the pancakes.

"I already had breakfast, baby, thank you."

Inara engages the children in conversation while Ally prepares breakfast: a pancake each with a bowl of instant oatmeal on the side. They talk about their studies and adventures, and Ally drowns them out until she hears the clatter of a teacup being dropped and Abe's strained voice.

"You okay, Mama?"

"Fine, Bubba," comes Inara's pained voice.

Ally plops three bowls of hot oatmeal and "K", "L", and "A" pancakes on the table and rests a hand on Inara's shoulder. "Was that…?"

"I hope not," is the older woman's response.

"I'm getting Simon."

* * *

"Yes, you're at two centimeters. Your water should break soon."

Inara squeezes Mal's hand. "Simon, we're still a week away from Persephone."

"And the way Wash and River plotted, three days from the nearest inhabited rock," Mal adds. He's looking a little nervous. "'Sides, she's not due for three weeks. Is the Mei-Mei even ready?"

"Apparently so. I can delay it as long as is healthy, but we won't make it anywhere. We're going to have deliver her here."

"In the Black?"

Inara sounds a little stricken.

"Let's monitor her for a while, before we make any big decisions," Simon tries to sound soothing, laying a hand on Inara's shoulder. "Captain, I'd tell Wash and River to alter course."

* * *

"Where's Mama? Is Mama okay?"

"Please, Ally, make him shut up."

"Watch your language, Kacey," Ally scolds with a sigh, at her last nerve with the three worried children. "Abe, your mother is fine. Simon will take good care of her. He delivered all of you three, didn't he?"

"On 'Sephone," Abe admits, bouncing on his toes nervously. "Not out here. Ally…"

"Everything is going to be fine, Abram. Please calm down."

Kacey returns to bouncing a ball off of the cargo bay wall, Lolly drawing distractedly on the floor and Abe standing beside Ally, his brow knit with worry. With a sigh, Ally hefts the five-year-old onto her hip.

"Kacey, Lolly. Don't blow anything up."

"Yes, ma'am," the two older children chorus.

"Where are we going?" Abe asks, holding onto Ally's shoulder.

"To find your father."

They run into him on the catwalk, returning to the infirmary from the cockpit.

"Daddy!"

"Bubba," Mal smiles gently, tiredly, taking his son from Ally. Abe burrows his head in Mal's shoulder.

"Is Mama okay?"

"She's fine, Bubba," Mal answers, rubbing the boy's back gently, "Your _mei-mei_'s just bein' a mite tetchy is all. She's decided she can't wait another week to come into this world. Impatient, don't ya think?"

The boy nods, unusually quiet. "Can I see Mama?"

"Of course. We'll go right now. In fact, you run on down. I've gotta talk to Miss Ally."

Abe nods and takes off as soon as he is put down.

"I'm sorry about your day off," Mal starts, running a hand through his hair, obviously distracted.

"Stop it," Ally scolds gently, "This is much more important than sleeping in and reading trashy novels."

"Do they have trashy novels in the Core?"

"Yes, I borrow them all from your wife. Now, you worry about Inara and the baby; I'll take point on Abram. It's as easy as that. I'm just about to send Lolly and Kacey off to their mothers and then I'll find a way to distract Abe."

Mal smiles genuinely. "Thank you, Miss Ally."

"Not a problem, Captain. Go see to your wife."

* * *

It's late. Kacey and Lolly are already in bed. Abe should be, but he's having trouble sleeping. His very strong intuition makes it hard to be unaffected by the tension on _Serenity_, but he is still too young to understand the hows and whys of everything. He _is_ very sleepy, though, eyes drooping as he sits in his father's lap, small fingers wrapped in his mother's.

"What did you do today, baby?" Inara asks him, smiling to reassure him that everything will be okay.

"Ally and I played," Abe answers under a yawn. "Just me and her. 'Cept for when we had Jayne lower the hoop ball ring real low so we could play with Kacey, Lolly, Aunt Zoe, and Aunt Kaylee. Ally's not very good at hoopball."

"Hey now. That's not very nice, Bubba," Mal says, brushing a kiss over the young boy's temple. "Miss Ally spent all day with you. You should be nicer to her."

"She said so!" Abe objects to the reprimand.

Mal chuckles, the rumble shaking Abram. "Well, alright. And it _is _true."

Abe yawns again, letting his fingers fall from Inara's as he snuggles deeper into Mal, eyes closing.

"You're worn out," Inara smiles gently, eyes resting tenderly on their son. "Why don't you go to bed, baby?"

"No." Abe's eyes pop open. "I wanna stay with you."

"What if we make ya a bed right over there?" Mal offers, pointing to the bed built into the wall of the infirmary, too tired to fight with his willful son tonight.

Abe's brow wrinkles, but he nods eventually, feeling his father's frustration and not wanting to risk a reprimand.

"Okay, let's go get you some pillows."

"Don't bother," a new voice greets from the door. Ally enters the infirmary with a blanket, a pillow, and _Bó_, the blue silk scarf Abe has slept with since birth. Her barely shoulder-length hair is wet from a shower, slightly curling as it dries. She smiles and hands _Bó _to her young charge before setting up the pillow and blanket on the bed.

"Our resident psychic rubbin' off on you, Miss Ally?" Mal asks with a curious smile.

"No, no. I just figured Abram would feel more comfortable falling asleep near his mama, since he's so worried." She smoothes the blanket and fluffs the pillow a little before turning to them again, asking Abram, "How about we go brush your teeth and put some pajamas on?"

Sleepy Abe only holds on tighter to his daddy.

"I'll take 'im," Mal offers, standing with the boy in his arms, leaning down to kiss his wife's forehead gently. "We'll be right back."

"I'm not going anywhere," Inara smiles, a trace of irony in her voice. Ally chuckles a little at it and watches the Reynolds men depart.

"How are you feeling?" Ally asks as soon as they are gone, warmly squeezing Inara's hand.

Inara meets the younger woman's eyes and grants her a tired smile. "I've been better. I'll be worse soon." She puts on a brave face. "I've done this before, you know."

"Very well, I hear. I'm not worried." Alistair Caramia is very smart, but the University of Sihnon does not train its students to mask their deep feelings well.

It is Inara's turn to squeeze Ally's hand, to try a reassuring grin. She is a little amazed at how much affection she has developed for this very young woman in only four months. But Inara felt a kindred spirit with her the moment they met, a shared background that Miss Caramia's surname immediately betrayed: a childhood in aristocratic Sihnon. She has come to think of Ally as a much younger sister, or even at moments, a daughter. She told her as much over tea a few weeks ago and earned a bright laugh from Ally.

"_Inara, you're not even old enough to be my mother."_

There was a light to her eyes, though, that belied her casual response and revealed a deeply moved soul honored by the affection. Inara knew from the handful of Caramias she had known growing up, either from her own classes or her brother and sister's schoolmates, that their exemplary upbringings were often lacking in affection. She knew that their first lessons were grammar and arithmetic, followed soon by Socrates and Plato, not how to ride a bike, or throw a ball, or receive a kiss. This knowledge, however, means that Inara is pleasantly surprised that Ally is more than capable of a great deal of affection for _Serenity_'s three (soon to be four) children, that she is able to be stern and yet loving with her students, celebrating their achievements, comforting their disappointments, easing their fears, and picking them up when they fall. They are very, very lucky to have stumbled upon her on Bellerophon.

"Thank you for taking such wonderful care of Abe," Inara says gently as Ally drops her hand and begins to rearrange the blanket and pillow once again.

Ally looks over her shoulder, something soft in her eyes. "Please, don't worry about that. He's a special little boy; he feels a lot. River tells me that he gets that from you."

"That's one popular theory. He behaved well for you?"

"He was at his best." Ally pauses. "When does Simon think the _mei-mei_ will be along?"

"Very soon. He has me on something to slow the labor for now, but it won't be safe to put it off for much longer."

"She's only three weeks early. Babies are born more premature than that every day."

"Is that covered in the university's curriculum? I hardly believe your double majors in education and history left time for obstetrics."

Ally laughs lightly at the tease. "You forget the biology and chemistry minors. I'm a Caramia. We fancy ourselves a Renaissance clan: we can't have anyone specialized, can we? Well-rounded, over-worked. The typical Caramia higher education."

"You didn't have any fun?"

"I did have fun at times. When I found my niche. But I was two years younger than many of my fellow students, and the name carries a certain expectation from teachers. Fulfilling that left little time for play."

"And what did you do when you played, Ally?" Inara asks, curious as to what the young tutor does besides read in her free time. The easy conversation helps take Inara's mind off of worry for the baby girl on the brink of making her entrance into the 'verse.

Ally smiles shyly, a little pink in the cheeks. "There was a small group of us. We all studied Spanish together, took to sharing fine wine and conversation _en español_ on philosophers, novelists, playwrights. Very intelligentsia."

"I think it's wonderful that you're teaching the children a third language. The process is very stimulating, especially for the young mind."

"That's what they taught me in Early Childhood Education," Ally responds, a tease in her voice. "Also, it will be very useful when they're fluent and we're planet-side."

Inara nods, has always agreed with Ally's proposal to teach the children Spanish. Before she can respond, Abe and Mal reenter the infirmary, Abe dressed for bed, face freshly scrubbed.

"Alright, Bubba. Now we need you to get some sleep, _dong ma_? Kiss your mama and settle in, please."

Abe is obedient, which is always a mite surprising to Mal, and stands on the chair to brush his lips over his mother's before hopping down and letting Ally lift him onto the other bed. Ally places a light kiss on his forehead and says goodnight to the trio. Mal tucks Abe in, admonishing him to sleep. He'll move his son to his own bunk as soon as he is solidly under.

* * *

TBC 


	2. Part 2

Title: Mei-Mei

Rating: G and fluuuuuuuffy

Characters: Most of the crew, plus the Pirate Children and Alistair Caramia (the latter are mine, the rest are Joss's)

Pairings: Canon pairings. I will openly admit that I heavily, heavily favor Mal and Inara and the Reynolds Family. And I'm not going to even kid you that there's some S/K or Z/W in this one... There's just not enough time in my little two parter. The M/I's not even that heavy.

Summary: Yet another Pirate Children story.S et 8 years post-BDM, AU. Serenity's youngest baby girl is about to make her entrance into this 'verse. And this somehow became mostly from Ally's point-of-view...

Author's Note: Thanks for the great response! Look for more PC to come.

Part 2

* * *

Ally hides her yawn behind the back of her hand, encouraging the boy in her lap to continue to read aloud. She checks the watch on her wrist and wonders why this little one is still awake.

"One more page, Abe, and I'll take over.

River pads silently into the room, dropping cross-legged onto the floor beside them in the common room off the dining area.

"How is she?" Ally asks while Abe reads on.

"The Mei-Mei will be here soon," River says airily, plucking the data reader from Abe's hand with a light smile and beginning to read where he left off.

They're still a day out from the nearest planet, which means the baby will be born out here in the Black. But River seems very calm, and Ally has learned that her serenity is always a good sign.

River finishes the story as Ally starts to nod off, exhausted by a day of not only teaching the trouble-attracting trio, but also watching an increasingly agitated Abram Reynolds.

"Danel. Children's literature from the exodus from Earth-That-Was," River whispers, rising to her feet. "He's asleep."

Ally jolts awake, noticing the snoring boy in her arms. "Finally. Thank God."

"I'll get him," River tells the younger woman, lifting Abe. "Sleep."

Abe and River disappear down the hall towards Abe's room. Ally stands, stretching out sore muscles and regaining her surroundings. Yawning again, she moves down to her room in the passenger dorms.

After climbing down the ladder, River lays Abe on his lower bunk, careful not to wake a snoring Kacey. She exudes as much calm as she can for his sensitive, worried mind to soak up.

"No worries, Abey. Your Mei-Mei will be here in the morning. Safe and sound. Noisy, too."

* * *

"I'm going to kill you."

Judging by the pain in his hand at this moment, Mal's pretty sure that's a definite possibility. "Now, darlin', let's not be hasty… No killin' 'til we get to see that beautiful little girl, _dong ma_?"

River gives him a "you've done this before; you should know not to talk" look and leans down to soothe Inara better than he currently is.

"Just a few pushes left, Inara," Simon says gently, "You're doing great."

"An' this is goin' even quicker than Abe," Mal says, trying to reassure her. The deadly glare he gets in return tells him that he's not doing his job well.

"Captain, no talking," River says shortly.

Mal does as he's told: shuts his mouth and kisses his wife's temple, letting her crush his fingers.

* * *

"Can't sleep either, Miss Ally?" the usually gruff mercenary asks as Ally comes back up into the kitchen, collapsing into the chair.

The young woman yawns again and tries to smile. "I wish I could, but things are a little crazy down there, with the labor and everything."

"Yeah. I usually try to be off ship for these things. Don't got much of a choice, though, do I?"

"Not this time, no," Ally smiles genuinely this time. Jayne looks back down at his coffee cup. Ally looks down at the watch on her wrist. "It's already five in the morning, and I can't remember the last time I slept."

"Chasin' the littlest brat?"

"You know, calling them brats doesn't hide your affection for them from me."

Jayne ignores her, standing. "Get ya some coffee, Miss Ally?"

"Yes, thank you."

He pours her a mug and sets it in front of her.

* * *

"She's beautiful," Mal whispers as Simon places the newborn in Inara's arms. "Just like her mama."

* * *

"They ever tell you how lil' Cobb got his name?"

"No, I don't think I've heard that story yet."

"Well, Wash an' me were on a drop. Don't remember why it was Wash an' not the cap'n, but that's how it worked out. Job went south."

"As I hear it often does," Ally comments, sipping at the sludge.

"More back then. Guys started shootin' 'fore we even got a couple feet from the shuttle. Wash got pinned down, surrounded. I picked all my guys off, then killed his right 'fore they shot 'im. Weren't nothin', you know? 'Swhat I get paid for. 'Sides, he had a little one on the way, an' I sure as hell wa'n't playin' daddy. Turns out that little one was more'n halfway here by the time we got back. Drugs must've still been playin' with Zoe's head, 'cause she insisted on namin' the brat after me."

Ally grins at him, though he can't see it, engrossed as he is in his coffee mug. Their first encounter had been awkward, Jayne being Jayne, but then the captain had laid down the law of "Hands off or I'll cut 'em off" about the _young_ new tutor, and the mercenary is still unsure of just how to interact with her.

"Well, that's quite a story," Ally says, finishing her coffee and trying not to make a face.

"Ally, wake up Abey," comes Kaylee's voice through the intercom, her smile evident in her tone. "He's got a baby sister."

Ally quickly rises from her chair, smile in place.

"Another screamin' brat," Jayne says, not even trying to hide his affection.

Ally hurries towards the crew quarters, slipping down the boys' ladder and kneeling by Abe's bedside.

"Abe, buddy, wake up," she whispers, shaking his side. He snuffles in his sleep but doesn't wake. "Come on, time to get up. You have a sister."

His eyes open slowly, and he pouts a little, looking around confused.

"Alright, Abe, we're going to go see your new sister. And Mama and Daddy."

Abe's brow wrinkles, but he extends his arms to Ally.

"I'll carry you after we get up the ladder, okay, Abe? I can't carry you up."

Hand on his shoulder, she beckons him out of his bed and guides him over the ladder, going up behind him so he doesn't fall. Once they're up top, he yawns again and reaches up.

She smiles and puts him on her hip, noticing that he still has _Bó_ clutched in his fist.

"The Mei-Mei's here?" he finally asks when they're halfway down to the infirmary, lifting his head off of her shoulder.

"Yeah, Abe, she is. Are you ready to see her?"

Mal meets them at the bottom of the stairs. Mal gives them a tired, stupid smile, probably the biggest Ally has ever seen on his face.

"'Mornin', Bubba. I've got a surprise for you."

Mal takes Abe from Ally and takes him into the infirmary.

"Hey, Mama," Abe smiles as the boys enter. Mal puts him down, and Abe hurries over to the bed, standing on his tiptoes to try and get a look at the bundle in his mother's arms. Mal slides the chair over for him, lets him climb up and lean over. "This is Mei-Mei? She's kinda small."

Mal chuckles, tousling his son's hair. "Babies tend to be that way, Bubba. How big were you expectin' her?"

The boy shrugs, brow furrowed in concentration as he studies the newborn's face, closed eyes, wrinkly skin.

"She's red."

"That'll wear off," Mal laughs again. "You were red, too."

"No way."

"Yes way," Inara smiles at her son.

He bites his lip, contemplating.

"You can touch her, Bubba," Mal encourages him.

Abe reaches out a tentative finger as the newborn stretches out an arm and yawns.

"Gently, Bubba," Inara says softly.

Abe touches his new sister's tiny palm, which instinctively curls around the outstretched finger.

"Whoa."

His eyes go wide, and his smile spreads like wildfire across his face.

"She moves."

"Yeah, she moves," Mal laughs, "She's a person."

"Hi, Mei-Mei," Abe grins, feeling her fingers curl around his forefinger. "I'm your brother."

"She has a name," Mal tells him.

"'Course she does," Abe wrinkles his nose, tearing his eyes away from his sister to look at his father. "Mei-Mei."

"No, Abe, a _real_ name," Mal grins.

"Well, alright, what is it?"

Mal meets his wife's eyes over their two children.

"Serra."

"I like Mei-Mei better."

* * *

"Wash is gonna set us down just long enough to refuel, sir. Then we're inbound to Persephone again," Zoe says, coming up behind the captain and his almost one-day-old daughter in the common room outside the infirmary. Mal is walking the length of the room, murmuring little secrets to his daughter while Inara sleeps.

"Hmm?" Mal asks, looking up reluctantly.

"Nothin', sir," Zoe grins. "You know, besides Mei-Mei, I ain't heard a name for this little one yet."

"Abe prefers Mei-Mei. I have a feelin' it's gonna stick for awhile," Mal says, his voice a mix of exhaustion, adrenaline, joy, and awe.

"Heard you can't get the boy away from his baby sister for more than a few minutes at a time… So, Mei-Mei?"

Mal laughs. "No, no. Serra…" He meets Zoe's eyes. "Serra Alleyne Reynolds."

Zoe gives only a slight show of surprise, her lips spreading slowly to a wide smile. "Well, that's a mighty pretty name."

"Thought've it myself," Mal grins cockily. "Serra after, well, her mama, obviously. And the other one, I just heard on the street somewhere you know. Found it kinda nice like."

"Don't ruin this, sir," Zoe continues to smile. She holds out her arms. "May I?"

"Sure," Mal says, though a little reluctant to let his precious baby girl out of his arms. He gently lays Serra in Zoe's waiting arms. "There you are, Serra. This is Aunt Zoe. She's a badass; don't forget it."

"'Nara know you're cursin' in front of the newborn?"

"Lesson number two, Serra: don't tell Mama all the bad words Daddy says."

"Great way to start out life, sir," Zoe says, cradling the baby against her chest. "She's a mite small."

"That's my girl," Mal laughs. "Too impatient to get full-grown before she pops out."

"Ain't no poppin' involved."

"'Cept my fingers. Anyway, Doc said her size's healthy, just on the smallish side of things. Nothin' dangerous."

"No, she looks like a fighter, sir."

"How can you tell that? She's been sleepin' the whole time you've held her."

"Just can. It's in her genes anyway. You know, if'n she got Inara's side of things."

"All these womenfolk on my boat, giving me lip."

"She is awful pretty, though."

"Well, that's definitely her mother's side."

"I dunno, sir. You're downright pretty if the light hits ya right and you're wearin' one of your fine cotton dresses."

"Thank you, Zoe. I think."

"Not a problem, sir." She pauses, looks down at the sleeping little girl in her arms. Serra Alleyne Reynolds. "And thank you. Mal."

Mal nods. "Want her to be named after strong women. 'Nara, you, my ma."

"Careful, sir, I think you're getting soft on us."

That's definitely a tease. Getting soft? He's been pretty soft for over five years now.

"I'm just hopin' she grows up smart like her mama, badass like Aunt Zoe…"

"I think that can be arranged. One thing, though; she does have three last names."

"Well, according to her brother, she only has one name: Mei-Mei."

"Not the worst as far as nicknames go."

"Nope. Not bad at all."

* * *

el fin 


End file.
